Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Edward Hastings Medhurst, (12 December 1896 – 18 October 1954) was a

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Royal Flying Corps pilot on the Western Front and later a senior officer in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

RAF career

Medhurst was awarded

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pilot certificate No. 1437 on 13 July 1913.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Medhurst
/ref> He was commissioned into The

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment o ...

on 16 June 1915 and in a few months was training to be a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps. He was soon operational on the Western Front flying the Nieuport Scout with No. 13 Squadron. In 1917 he became the officer commanding No. 14 Squadron operating in Palestine. On 1 August 1919 he was awarded a permanent commission as a captain in the Royal Air Force and by 1925 had attended the

RAF Staff College The RAF Staff College may refer to: *RAF Staff College, Andover (active: 1922 to 1940 and 1948 to 1970) *RAF Staff College, Bulstrode Park The RAF Staff College, Bulstrode Park, was a satellite staff college for the Royal Air Force based at Buls ...

. He became Officer Commanding No. 4 Squadron in 1930 and he joined the Directing Staff at the RAF Staff College in 1931 before becoming deputy director of Intelligence at the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

in 1935. He then went to

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as Air

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in 1937. Medhurst held a number of staff appointments during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

including RAF Secretary of the Supreme War Council from 1940, Director of Allied Air Co-Operation and then Director of Plans all during 1940. He became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence) in 1941 and after a spell as Temporary Vice-Chief of the Air Staff later in 1942 he became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy) in February 1943. In March 1943 he was appointed commandant of the RAF Staff College later moving on in February 1945 to be Air Officer in Command of

RAF Middle East Command Middle East Command was a command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) that was active during the Second World War. It had been preceded by RAF Middle East, which was established in 1918 by the redesignation of HQ Royal Flying Corps Middle East that ha ...

. After the war Medhurst was made Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, RAF Mediterranean and Middle East Command (which had absorbed his previous command when it was disbanded in August 1945). His last appointment was as Chairman of the British Joint Services Mission to

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in the rank of air chief marshal. Medhurst retired on 19 April 1950 and he died a few years later aged 58 on 18 October 1954.

Family

Medhurst married Christabell Guy in 1919 in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

. His son Pilot Officer R. E. H. "Dickie" Medhurst was killed on 19 September 1944 when the Douglas Dakota Mk. III he was co-piloting exploded after taking Anti-Aircraft Artillery fire during an air drop mission during Operation Market Garden. His daughter Rozanne was an Italian speaker and code breaker at

Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is an English country house and estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes ( Buckinghamshire) that became the principal centre of Allied code-breaking during the Second World War. The mansion was constructed during the years followin ...

, the Government Code and Cipher School.

References

, - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Medhurst, Charles Edward Hastings 1896 births 1954 deaths Military personnel from Worcestershire Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Officers of the Order of the British Empire Royal Air Force air marshals Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Flying Corps officers Commanders of the Legion of Merit Commanders with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta Grand Commanders of the Order of George I English aviators Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers officers People educated at Rossall School Heads of RAF Intelligence British air attachés